No. 5 Bethel knocks off RedStorm men

Rio Grande Sports Information
     PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. - Fifth-ranked Bethel (Ind.) University grabbed an early lead, added to it just before halftime and held on in the second half for a 2-1 win over the University of Rio Grande men's soccer team, Monday morning, in the final round of the NAIA Labor Day Classic at the MOBA Soccer Complex.
     The Pilots improved to 3-0-2 with the victory.
     Rio Grande, ranked No. 21 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Top 25 poll, dropped to 1-2-1 as a result of the loss - its first sub-.500 mark in regular season play since opening the 2012 season with a loss to Saint Xavier (Ill.).
     Manuel Garcia gave Bethel a lead it would never relinquish just 5:19 into the match, when he scored off an assist by Sami Charaf Amal.
     The Pilots then pushed their advantage to 2-0 with just 1:28 left before halftime thanks to an unassisted marker by Piero Sabroso.
     Rio Grande, which was outshot 15-11 overall and 8-6 in shots on goal, managed to put four shots on frame in the second half before finally denting the scoreboard when freshman David Palade (Constanta, Romania) scored on a penalty kick with 1:46 remaining in the contest.
     The RedStorm failed to record another shot the rest of the way.
     Mathis Neuhaus recorded five saves in goal for Bethel.
     Senior Matheus de Campos (Brasilia, Brazil) stopped six shots in a losing cause for Rio Grande.
     The RedStorm return to action on Saturday at 15th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.